Magnetic game apparatus



Feb- 19, 1957 J. A. ENGEL, JR 2,782,38

MAGNETIC GAME: APPARATUS Filed April 1e, 1954.

FIG. 1Mg M D EF LMNO UV 00 Q ,'ff' @Q0 @f 36 @000 @C 0 0 GOCDGGGCDG@ CDOGQ@ ATTOILNBS ,United StatesA Patent' F MAGNETIC GAME APPARATUS John A. Engel, Jr., Baltimore, Md.

Application April 16, 1954, Serial No. 423,803

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-130) novel game which may be enjoyed by three to seven, or

more, players, one of whom arbitrarily selects a word which the other contestants seek to determine.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a game in which the probabilities of a particular players determination of the word are controlled by'a combination of psychokinesis, clairvoyance, telepathy perception, intelligence, vocabulary range, and a substantial factor of chance.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a game in which the contestants move a playing piece over a gridded playing board, in directions'and sequences determined by chance, and are rewarded by an audible sound when they nd a grid dened area corresponding to a particular letter or group of letters which form a part of the pre-selected word.

The invention includes other objects and embodiments in the playing of games which are more particularly pointed out in the following detailed description and claims directed to a preferred form of the invention, it being understood, however, that various combinations and variations may be made, in the playing of the game, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as described and claimed herewith.

i In the drawings, forming part of this application:

Figure l is an elevational view of the game board; Figure 2 is an elevational view of the game board with the cover opened to illustrate the interiorly disposed apertured panel;

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 illustrates the structure shown in Figure 3 with thevplaying piece transposed one square to better illustrate the operation of the invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken along line 5-5 of Figure l to illustrate a detail of the construction of vthe invention;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top surface of the bottom of the pan illustrating a modiica tion of the invention, and

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the playing board with the cover open to illustrate another modification of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a playing board 10 has a flat bottom 12 and peripheral side and end walls 14 forming a shallow pan. A portion of the pan is covered with a stiff, flat top 16 which is permanently aiixed thereto, or which may be made integral with a portion of the side walls.

The remainder of the pan, that is, that portion of the pan not covered by the top 16, is provided with a movable cover 18 which may be either entirely removable or, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, hinged to the side walls 14 2,782,038 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 ,ICE

by a cloth binding, or by any other suitable mechanical means. The cover 18 is formed of a stiff opaque flat sheet of cardboard, fiber board, plastic, or metallic material.

The top 16 is gridded and carries suitable indicia, for example, the letters of the alphabet arranged in transverse rows. The alphabet is arranged in three rows, one beneath the other, so that the letters may also be said to be arranged in longitudinal tiles. As illustrated in Figures l and 2, the letters A through H are arranged in one row, I through Q in a second row, and R through Z in a third row. The three rows are aligned so that AIR, BJS, CKT, DLO, MV, ENW, FOX, GPY and HQZ all form longitudinally extending tiles. It is within the contemplation of this invention that each of the three rows be given distinctive coloring, for example, yellow, red and blue, respectively.

The cover 18 has its exterior surface delineated to form a grid. The grid defines rows and tiles of square playing sections which are aligned with, or correspond with, the rows and iiles, respectively, of the top 16. That is, each of the files defined by the letters of the top 16, has a corresponding tile of square playing sections deiined by the grid on the cover 18.

In Figure 2 there is illustrated a playing board with the cover 18 raised to illustrate the interior of the pan formed by the bottom or base 12 and side and end walls 14. A thin panel 20 is placed within the pan, and lies entirely beneath the cover 18. That is, the panel 20 does not have a thickness greater than the distance between the top surface of the bottom 12, and the undersurface of the cover 18. The panel is provided with a large number of apertures 22, each aperture being located substantially beneath one of the square playing areas defined by the grid on the cover 18, when the latter is closed. The panel is also provided with several large apertures 24 which are adapted for use in storing the paraphernalia of the game when it is not in use. These apertures are located below a section 26 of the cover, which is not gridded or used as a playing area.

A playing piece 28 is provided, as illustrated in .Figa ures 3 and 4, to be movably disposed upon the top or outer surface of the cover 18. The playing piece is formed, at least partially, of a magnetic material which is magnetized. The playing piece is illustrated as formed in the shape of a right cylinder but any other appropriate shape will be entirely satisfactory. The playing piece may be of any reasonable size, but its cross-section should not exceed that of one of the squares defined by the grid on the cover 18, as will be evident after a study of the method of playing the game, discussed hereinafter.

There are also provided a large number of magnetically attractable objects, for example, washers 30 which are small enough to be easily inserted within the apertures 22 in the panel 20. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the washers have a height which is substantially less than the distance between the top surface of the bottom section 12 and the underside of the cover `18. It should be clear that While vI have illustrated the use of washers, these magnetic attractable objects may be of any size or shape, within the limitations discussed above, and may be given any coloring or other designatory configuration. For example, in a preferred form of the game'l provide several washers in each of the colors usedto distinguish the indicia rows on the top 16, that is, yellow, red and blue. In this preferred form of the game I also provide the contestants with implements of chance for determining the number of moves allowed during `a particular playing opportunity or go. Any well known implements of chance may be used such as counting spinners or dice.

It is within the contemplation of this invention to provide any of a variety of confining means for holding the washers, or other magnetically attractable object-s, in the selected or designated positions. For example, there is illustrated ijn Figure 7 a fragmentary View of a section of the pan bot-tcm orbase 12. An opstanding pinI 3-1 is affixed to the bottom and has a` lengthnot greater than the distance between the Atopr surfaceof the `bottom 12 and the cover 1S. It will be seen that the washer may be slipped over the pin and will be confined thereby so :that it is limited to a substantially vertical movement.

As shown in Figure 6, it is also within the contemplation of this invention to -provide a -pan having no Vconiining means disposed therein, in such acaso the frictional resistance between the Washer, or other magnetically attractable objects, and .the upper surface ofthe pan bottom 412 will hold the washers in their preselected positions.

Preferrezi method of playing A player who will act as scorekeeper is selected by chance, for example, by a high roll of the dice. The scorekeeper arbitrarily selects a word, then asks the remaining players to divert their attention in order that he may form the word selected by him without the other players gaining any knowledge of that word. The word is formed by inserting washers 30 in `the apertures 22 which are in the tile directly under, that is, longitudinally of, the various letters of the word. The first let-ter of the word is indicated with a washer having the same color as the indicia row on which theletterisV located. The next washerris then placed in an aperture located in the proper aperture file and aperture row next away from the top 16. The washer so used also bears the saine coloring as the row of the letter `which it represents. It will be readily seen that in the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures l and 2, words of up to ten letters may be represented by the insertion of washers in the proper apertures. If words of over ten letters are used, the players may elect to place washers representing the first nine letters and topuse the last row of apertures to locate a washer indicating 4the last letters of the word. That is to say, washers representingthe letter or letters Ifalling between the ninth and last letters of such words are not placed on the board and the letter or letters thusly omitted are merely deduced by theplayers.

If, for example, theV sccrekeeper` should choose the `word Novel, he would place a `red washer in the sixth -aperture file, that is, undery or longitudinally ofthe N,

say at 32. The second letter would be represented by a and the last two letters would be represented Aby a yellow Washer at 38 and a. red washer at 40, respectively.

The scorekeeper would then close the cover so that it rests on the panel 20 and side and end walls 14. yThe players, each in their turn, move the playing piece 2?,

in any desired direction on the top of cover 18, a number of squares indicated by a throw of the dice or by some other chance controlled device.

When the magnetic playing piece 28 is moved to a position substantially directly over an aperture 22 containing a washer 30, the washer will, being subjected to the lines of ux of the magnet, ,immediately rise to a position flush with ,the underside o f the cover 18 as shown in Figure 4. It will be readily seen 4that the washer` will not .rise slowly, but rather, will jump to the new position creating a resounding snap when it contacts the cover 18. This snap is clearly audible to 'the players, and all will know that this position marks the location of the Washer representing one of the three letters ofthat particular file. A counter 44 or other object may be placed on the board to mark this position when the playing piece is moved on in due course.

As each letter is located, or, for example, when players subsequently score doubles with the dice, the various contestants may hazard a guess as to the complete word spelled out by the hidden washers. Various scoring arrangements may be provided to reward the participants who locate a washer as well as those who succeed in determining the entire word selected by the scorekeeper.

It will be understood that there can be many modifications and variations of the rules of play, the method and value of the scoring, as well as in the fanciful coloring or other means of designating the relationship between particular washers and particular rows on the top 16.

lt will also be understood that it is within the contemplation of this invention to arrange the letters of the alphabet peripherally of the cover. That is, the top may extend around the perimeter of the cover and carry the letters spaced thereon in a chain, so that there are two rows and two files. As many variations of the arrangement of the indicia will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art, no attempt will be made herein to describe the entire range of said possibilities.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to specific details herein set forth but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and falling within the scopelof the following claims.

l claim:

1,. A game of the class described comprising a fiat bases, stift vfiat top tixably disposed over a first portion of saidbase, a stiff opaque flat movably mounted cover disposed over a second portion of said base, said cover being spaced from said A,base to define a cavity to receive a plurality of magnetically attractable objects placed in preselected positions therein, indicia disposed in `rows and files o n `said toppand delineation of rows and files on Vsaid cover, the files of the indicia defining the arrangement ofthe tiles of delineations, said pre-selected positions being defined by said delineations.

-2. A game of the class described comprising a shallow pan, a stiff flat top fixed over a first portion of said pan, a stiff opaque fiat movably mounted cover disposed over anotherV portion of said pan, confining means Within the pan and `disposed below said cover to limit the movement of magnetically attractable objects placed within the pan, indicia disposedl in rows and files on the exterior surface of said top, and delineations of rows and files on the exterior of said cover, the files of the indicia defining the arrangement of the tiles of delineations.

3. A game of the class described comprising a shallow pan having a flat bottom, a stiff fiat top fixed over a first portion of said pan, a stitf opaque fiat movably mounted cover `disposed over another portion of said pan, said bottom and said cover being in spaced parallel relation, indicia disposed in rows and files on the exterior surface of said top, delineations of rows and files on the exterior `surface of said cover, the files of the indicia defining the arrangement of the files of delineations, a plurality of magnetically attractable objects disposed on said bottom yin a plurality of pre-selected positions, each defined by said delineations, a magnetic playing piece movably disposed upon the exterior of said cover, said objects having ya height substantially less than the distance between the spaced adjacent surfaces of said cover and said bottom, the arrangement being such that said objects will be raised to, and will audibly snap against, the inner surface of said cover when said magnetic playing piece is selectively positioned substantially directly over said object.

,4. In `thegame defined in claim 2, confining means within the pan and disposed below said cover to limit ythe. magnetically attractable objects to substantially vertical movement, said means being arranged in rows and files directly under and substantially congruent with the rowsandles delineated on said cover.

5. In the `structure defined in claim 2, a panel disposed in said pan between said bottom and said cover, said panel having a plurality of apertures formed therein, said apertures being arranged in rows and iles directly under and substantially congruent with the rows and les delineated on said cover, said objects Ibeing disposed within -said apertures, the portions of said panels defining said apertures limiting said objects to substantially vertical movement.

6. In the game dened in claim 3, a plurality of pins projecting upwardly from said bottom, said pins being `arranged in rows and les directly under and substantially congruent with the rows -and files delineated on said cover, said objects being disposed upon said pins, said 6 pins limiting said objects to substantially vertical moved ment.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,545 Yarnall Sept. 27, 1898 1,061,864 Palmer May 13, 1913 2,399,041 Kleber Apr. 23, 1946. 2,470,310 Heyman May 17, 1949 2,585,463 Horine Feb. 12, 1952 2,673,404 A'brahamson Mar. 30, 1954 

